Archive
Extra Points – No Power
No Power 
Last week I arrived at the Colman Dock ferry terminal in Seattle to head back across Puget Sound for home. My iPhone was at 9% power, so I thought I’d plug in and power up since I had a 30 minute wait for the next ferry. I searched and searched for an outlet. I was surprised that I couldn’t easily find one, so I thought I must simply be “blind.” I stopped over to the employees and asked where the outlets were. “No outlets,” was the response. I couldn’t believe my ears.I asked why and she quickly gave me the two reason. The first was that someone had plugged their laptop into an outlet, and some power malfunction ruined it. The other was that people would “hog” the outlets. The terminals simple solution? Avoid it all and just remove them. This is crazy. The ferries have outlets all over, yet the terminals eschew them because of fear and that people might actually use them! In today’s highly digital world, they do a disservice to their customers for selfish reasons.
Do we ever do that? Do we ever make decisions for our own self-interest and in so doing, do a disservice to our customers? Consider some of the kooky phone systems that require you to select from 7 different options, which leads you to another 4 options, which lead you to an outdated voice mail or a disconnection. Or how about arriving for a doctors appointment only to find that the office has double booked and you will be lucky to be seen sometime in the same day as your appointment? Sound familiar?
Make it easy for people to do business with you. Give them the power. You do this by making contact with you easy; access to you and your products simple; and a level of courteousness that might just overwhelm them with delight. Or, maybe you can at least provide an outlet for their phone…
© 2013 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved
This week’s quote -
“A vision without execution is merely an illusion.”
- Ron Karlberg
Webinar on Social Media for Insurance Pros
I have a webinar coming up this Thursday for insurance professionals that would like to maximize their ability to leverage social media in their marketing. The webinar is hosted by the Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) Western Alliance. It is free for all PIA members and $20 for non-members. The webinar time is 10:00-11:00 am Pacific time and there is still time to join.
Click here to learn more and register.
Here is what you will learn:
- Defining social media and what it really means
- Platform for intellectual property distribution
- Best Practices for maximization
- Time management techniques
Hope to have you join us!
© 2013 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved
Extra Points – Transitions
This week’s focus point… 
Transitions
Today is the day my mother moves out of our home and into a memory care/skilled facility. After 2 years of living with us at our home, Barb and I knew the time was now to transition. Her care was about to exceed our pay grade. It will be best for her from a comfort, care, and mobility outlook. It will also be a relief for Barb and me.
Transitions can be bittersweet. They often involve tough decisions and a commitment to the benefit of the most. They also involve consequences. For us, a “hidden” consequence is that the dogs have come to love her and I know they will miss her. They did when she was recovering from a hospital stay. But dogs are resilient and they move on with transitions often better than humans do.
Your career has probably seen transitions. Even if it didn’t entail a job change, your position changes in order to grow, develop, and reward you. It also creates its own “hidden” consequences that you might see right away, or may not manifest themselves for years. That’s part of living and transitioning.
Don’t fear transitions. Most times they are to ultimately change and reward you. You just have to be open to that change and willing to burst through that door.
© 2013 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved
This week’s quote -
“When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That’s relativity.”
- Albert Einstein
Extra Points – Unsolicited Advise
Unsolicited advice
Don’t accept unsolicited advice. As my professional mentor, Alan Weiss reminded us at his Seattle event last week, unsolicited advice is for the giver of the advice, not the recipient. Only accept advice from people who you want to gain advice from. As a member in Toastmasters, I accept advice from fellow members because it’s implicit in my membership. I don’t accept advice from someone I don’t know after walking off the platform when I speak. I accept advice from my mastermind group because I value and respect their opinions and it’s again implicit as part of that group. I don’t accept advice or comments through the internet where someone is anonymously hiding behind an avatar (see electronic comments on newspaper articles). Choose wisely who you take suggestions and advice from. They need to have gained your trust and respect in whatever it is they are mentoring or coaching you on (or even simply giving advice).
One additional note. Don’t get angry by people’s comments or “advice” on social media sites like Facebook. If you posted something, you have given the right to everyone seeing it to weigh in. It has now become “solicited!” I am constantly amused by people who are agitated by other’s comments on their life when they put themselves out there. If you don’t want to take comments on your life or business, don’t post on Facebook, Twitter, or Linked In. If you are looking to be provocative and edgy, be ready to take the heat. Unless of course the heat comes form someone you don’t know hiding behind a green martian’s face…
© 2013 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved
This week’s quote -
“Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.”
- Mark Twain
New Rave Review
“I worked with Dan to re-energize my sales initiatives. After more than 30 years as a Property and Casualty Producer I wanted to brush up on my skills and make sure that I was using all the tools available to me so that I can be successful. My personal goal is to “sprint to the finish line.” Dan was instrumental in helping me to identify resources and technology that have helped me to populate my pipeline and use every available resource and I know that I will be successful!“
- Judy Graf, Area Vice-President – Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services
Many thanks to Judy for her kind words. The results for my clients is what I’m all about and I really enjoy working with sophisticated and successful agents like Judy. If you’d like to learn more about how I can help you accelerate your insurance career and enrich your life, please contact me.
© 2013 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved
How to Recruit Talented People to Your Agency #1
Let’s get one thing clear at the start. Recruiting new talent is not the way it was 30 years ago. Today, you are being interviewed just as much as you are interviewing. And, it’s not just you as an agency. It’s you as an industry.
The first thing you need to do to start down the road of hiring talented people for your agency is answering the question – “Why insurance?”
How would you answer that question if you were asked by your “interviewee?”
You need to show these people the rewards and values they receive from being part of the industry. It’s harder than you think. The industry has done a good job of turning insurance jobs into geeky commercials portraying price only. Granted, a few talk about coverages and protection, but the image is overshadowed by kookiness. You need to introduce reality.
- Insurance is truly about protecting lifestyle (personal lines)
- Insurance is truly about protecting blood, sweat, and tears….and money (commercial lines)
- Insurance is truly about protecting sustainable income (life and disability)
- Insurance is truly about protecting dignity (long term care)
You need to use language that promoted the real value to the client…the real rewards received. If they think insurance is only about geckos, goofy insurance geeks, a perky woman who knows nothing about insurance, and things blowing up, you’re off to a bad start. You’re also in trouble if you only talk about yourself and your agency. Focus on the value they will be providing others. That’s job #1 and gets overlooked more often than you might imagine. Practice and prepare for your next interview.
Copyright 2013 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved
Extra Points – Catching the Rabbit
Chasing the Rabbit
Captain Jack
I admit to being an NFL geek. I watched the NFL Draft on Saturday as the Seahawks had about a gazillion picks to make. It was worth it when I heard former NFL head coach and ESPN Monday Night Football announcer, Jon Gruden tell a rookie quarterback…
“If the dog hadn’t stopped to take a crap, he would have caught the rabbit.”
Now, THAT is wisdom!
Here’s why. The dog takes off on a mission to catch the rabbit. The rabbit himself is fast and tough to catch to begin with. The dog stops to do his duty and the rabbit speeds on. The dog misses out on the rabbit and the rewards of catching the rabbit.
You start off on a new mission/objective/goal/initiative/dream (you pick one). The objective is going to be tough to attain to begin with. You are going fast and then something distracts or stops you. Seems like it’s important at the time. By the time you get going back again, you’ve lost momentum; lost passion; lost direction; and ultimately lost your rabbit and reward.
You, in your professional and personal life, are constantly setting goals and objectives. Too bad you’re allowing things to distract you and keep you from reaching them. More often than not, these distractions are of your own doing. It doesn’t have to be that way. You have control, you just need to be resilient, focused, and passionate. There’s always time to ‘um…”take a crap” later!
Go catch that rabbit!
© 2013 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved
This week’s quote -
“It is even harder for the average ape to believe that he has descended from man.”
- H. L. Mencken
Upcoming Event: Sales & Leadership Conference in Wisconsin
For those of you in the Wisconsin area, I am thrilled to speaking at the Independent Insurance Agents of Wisconsin 2013 Sales & Leadership Conference. My topic is on recruiting talent to your company and maximizing that talent to help you quickly and effectively grow your agency or company. Below is a brief video detailing my program and visit. Learn more about the entire conference and registration by visiting the Independent Insurance Agents of Wisconsin web site. For all of you NOT in Wisconsin, if you’d like me to speak on the same topic at your next conference or event, please contact me at (360) 697-1058 or dan@danweedin.com.
© 2013 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved
Extra Points – Resiliency
Resiliency 
Last week was a bad week in this country…
First we had the tragic bombing at the Boston Marathon and subsequent events that killed 4 people, injured hundreds, and altered thousands of lives. A few days later, the explosion at a fertilizer plant killed 12 people (most of them first responders) and again injuring and affecting hundreds. Throw in a couple of earthquakes outside the United States and it was a crisis filled and emotional week.
One thing is absolutely certain, however, and it was proven again this week. We are a resilient people. We care, we sacrifice, we take care of each other. Hundreds of marathon runners kept running past the finish line to donate blood; bystanders put themselves in harm’s way to aid injured people; and as Boston showed, a city completely shut down in an effort to protect its people and seek justice. Regardless of who we are, where we come from, our political point of view, or our age, we are resilient and know what to do in the face of crisis. We band together for the greater good, lick our wounds, care for those who have lost, and keep moving forward.
One final thought. My great-grandfather was a police officer in Seattle in the early 1900′s. He was killed on the Seattle streets in the line of duty (and eventually had a street named after him). We saw in Boston and in Waco that law enforcement, fire fighters, medical staff, and other professionals who are first responders put their lives on the line every day for our protection and safety. Thanks to all of you who bravely put your life on the line for us…
© 2013 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved
This week’s quote -
“It is easier to be wise for others than for ourselves.”
- Francois De La Rochefoucauld
Extra Points – Perspective
This week’s focus point…
Perspective
It’s been a rough couple of weeks for my high school alma mater. Earlier this month, a lady who graduated 10 years before me (and whom I did not know), died tragically near Seattle when someone going over 100 MPH the wrong way hit her head on. The son of my 6th grade teacher and first basketball coach was killed in Alaska. Then in back to back days last week, we lost classmates who I went to school with going all the way back to grade school. Then on Friday, this state lost two coaching legends (Marv Harshman and Frosty Westering) on the same day hours apart.
This memo isn’t about regrets or tears. It’s about understanding that we don’t have limitless days in front of us. None of us knows when those days will end, but we do know they don’t last forever.
I think there is nothing more sobering than wasted opportunity. In many cases, we know it right at the moment it happens. With life, we don’t. It’s easy to get thinking that tomorrow will always come and “someday” will always come. For my classmates, “someday” is over.
You and I are here today. This may be something you’ve heard before, but if you’re like me, it’s easy to overlook. Don’t waste days. Don’t waste opportunities. Don’t stay mad. Don’t be negative.
Instead, spend time with your family and friends; create new memories; attack every day like it’s a new adventure; and keep a smile on your face. If you’re reading this, you are as fortunate as I am because we have been blessed. Take advantage of each day and run the race with great passion and enthusiasm.
© 2013 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved
This week’s quote -
“Make the big time where you are.”
- Frosty Westering, former head football coach at Pacific Lutheran University
